During their E3 2019 press conference, Microsoft revealed more on a new title in the Minecraft universe. Developed by Mojang Studios, Minecraft Dungeons is an action-adventure dungeon crawler set in the same universe as Minecraft.

The visual aesthetic is the same as that in Minecraft, though the perspective is overhead and the gameplay is, of course, that of a dungeon crawler like Diablo. You'll be slashing skeletons, spiders, zombies, and who knows what new enemy types in addition to the Minecraft roster. As is expected for this type of game, there will be items and upgrades available, including special attacks. You can also hunt out special treasure and acquire items like the Great Hammer or heavy armor. In all, if you've ever wanted to engage in the world of Minecraft in a meaty game, this is your chance.

The goal of the game will be to save villagers and defeat the "Arch-Illager." Environs will include canyons, swamps, and the titular mines. There will be 4-player local and online co-op.

Coming spring 2020 for Xbox One and Windows 10, you can play this with Xbox Games Pass at launch. There will be a Hero Edition available for 29.99 USD in addition to the standard version for 19.99 USD.

Minecraft Dungeons will be the first standalone game from Mojang since Minecraft was released in 2011. Microsoft bought Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property in 2014.

Minecraft is the best-selling videogame of all time. Over 176 million copies have been sold worldwide, and there are currently 91 million unique players. Beyond the original game and the upcoming Dungeons, there is a wider Minecraft universe that includes Minecraft: Education Edition and the soon-to-end Minecraft: Story Mode. This past May, Microsoft also announced Minecraft Earth, an augmented-reality experience that lets players create Minecraft structures throughout the world.

To see some of the dungeon-crawling action, check out the trailer below.

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I am a lifelong, enthusiastic gamer, freelance writer and editor, blogger, and Thief FM aficionado. I think that exploration-heavy, open-ended first-person games are the best vehicle for story-telling, with the finest Thief missions leading the pack.